Chapman University School of Law (Southern California)

The University

Chapman University is a 149-year-old non-profit private institution currently ranked in the Top 12 of Western Master’s Universities by U.S News & World Report. Chapman's overall student body consists of approximately 6,000 students, including 580 students at the law school. The school offers 57 different majors at the undergraduate level, and confers degrees in 21 graduate fields of study.

The Law School

Chapman University School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The school of law is part of a university campus, which gives law students access to educational, cultural, and recreational activities that often cannot be replicated at a stand-alone law school. It also lets us offer cross disciplinary study in approved courses with other Colleges within our University.

Our school is currently ranked a Top 5 law school for “Quality of Life” (a measure of overall law school community experience) by The Princeton Review (2010 edition) and has been in the Top 5 each year since 2006. The Princeton Review has also ranked us among the Top 5 law schools for “Best Classroom Experience” each year since 2007 and as a Top 10 law school for "Diverse Faculty" in 2009.

We compete exceedingly well against schools much older than us and are clearly an institution that is on the move. We are pleased to report that the US News 2009 and 2010 Graduate School Rankings have Chapman in the 3rd tier of American law schools with many measures of our performance well into Tiers 1 and 2. In the 2010 report, our J.D. Tax Program was ranked in the Top 25 (#17) in the country by US News. Dean John Eastman stated that, "As more and more people take notice just what we have accomplished, it will be clear to all that Chapman is a school on the rise and not satisfied with the status quo. Chapman has quickly earned a reputation as an emerging center for legal education."

In addition to our LL.M. programs, Chapman offers JD certificate programs in five different concentrations and extensive clinical programs along with JD/MBA and JD/MFA dual degrees.

The Program

We have a variety of engaging programs that appeal to both U.S. and International students, including: Taxation, Trial Advocacy (with court residency), Business Law & Economics, Entertainment & Media Law, International & Comparative Law and Prosecutorial Science. Qualified candidates may also elect a General LL.M. with other specializations with special permission.

For each program, feel free to call the LL.M. Offices at (714) 628-2635, and you will be put into contact with a faculty member who can answer your specific questions about the specific program that you are interested in. You may also dial 877-CHAPLAW, toll free from within the United States.

LL.M. in TAXATION
Taxation is Chapman’s oldest LL.M. program and continues Chapman’s advance in the field of tax law. Our J.D. Tax Program is currently (2010) Ranked in the Top 25 (#17)in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report, which bolsters our graduate tax programs as well. Our six full time tax faculty includes leaders in various Tax sections and committees of the American Bar Association, professors ranked in the Top 20 in tax scholarship as measured by the Social Science Research Network, and prolific scholars including casebook authors. We are the only law school in the nation with both Trial and Appellate tax clinics (whereby students handle actual cases while in school) and an Estate Planning clinical opportunity. Our graduates have been placed at leading law and accounting firms and at the IRS. In addition to the traditional Personal and Business related tax law courses, Chapman has made a particular effort to include an extensive array of Advanced Estate Planning and Advanced Business and Personal Tax Planning courses.

Admission: Fall and Spring, Full-Time and Part-Time
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/gradtax
Email: gradtax@chapman.edu


LL.M. in TRIAL ADVOCACY (With Court Residency)
Chapman’s newest LL.M. program is different than most Trial Advocacy programs that you may find because it lets qualified candidates gain nearly unattainable civil or criminal trial experience while in school. Unlike other programs, Chapman’s LL.M. in Trial Advocacy gives students who are licensed by the California State Bar the opportunity to participate in a 15-week “residency” in a criminal agency or law firm, where they will routinely make court appearances and handle other pretrial matters. Most will also try at least one complete jury trial. Candidates not licensed by the California State Bar will still be able to receive hands-on trial training from Superior Court Judge’s and leading jurists, prosecutors, civil litigators, and criminal defense attorneys.

Admission: Fall Only; Full Time Only
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/law
Email: llm@chapman.edu


LL.M. in BUSINESS LAW & ECONOMICS,
The field of Business Law includes many subjects that are vital to local and global businesses, like contracts, trade regulation, competition, finance, and banking. Earning your an LL.M. in Business Law & Economics from Chapman allows you a course of study in sophisticated areas of Business Law including International Business, Bankruptcy, and Mergers & Acquisitions. The LL.M. degree brings to light the myriad ways that business law is connected to other fields of law.

Admission: Fall and Spring, Full-Time and Part-Time
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/law
Email: llm@chapman.edu


LL.M. in ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA LAW
In a field like Entertainment Law, it is vital not only to develop and enhance one’s legal skills, but also to make lasting impressions and connections with those who have insight and experience in the entertainment industry. Chapman’s LL.M. in Entertainment & Media Law lets students access a complete film & television school – the http://ftv.chapman.edu/ – and our close proximity to the “entertainment capital of the world” gives students a distinct advantage making these connections. Our LL.M. program lets students pursue not only traditional Entertainment Law courses, but also lets students take valuable, in-depth courses in our film school. A student who exploits this unique combination of curriculum may have a competitive edge in this field.

Admission: Fall and Spring, Full-Time and Part-Time
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/law
Email: llm@chapman.edu

LL.M. in INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE LAW
The legal climate of the world is sophisticated and global. Whether you are involved in human rights, international trade, international relations, or a host of other fields, a good understanding of U.S. and International legal systems can benefit you and your firm or government agency. Chapman offers a wide variety of courses and is updated to reflect new developments in this dynamic field, giving our LL.M. students the most current selection of courses possible.

Admission: Fall and Spring, Full-Time and Part-Time
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/law
Email: llm@chapman.edu


LL.M. in PROSECUTORIAL SCIENCE (Partially live distance-learning)
Chapman is the first law school in the United States to offer an LL.M. in Prosecutorial Science. Entry into this program is limited active prosecutors including District Attorneys, JAG Officers, Department of Justice Attorneys, Federal Inspector General Attorneys and Tribal Prosecutors. Candidates who are accepted into the program will receive graduate instruction from an experienced team of veteran academicians and prosecutors. The program offers courses with application in all states, as well as advanced electives on state-specific laws and procedures. Because the program is limited to those in active practice, classes are primarily held during the evenings and weekends with an in-house summer residency. Approximately 75% of the coursework is interactive live distance-learning courses that are conducted via sophisticated two-way on-line audio/video classrooms. This is not just a one way webcast or videos of past class lectures. Students participate in discussions and questions on a real time basis.

Admission: Fall (with summer residency) Only, Part-Time, Distance Learning
Link: http://www.chapman.edu/prosecutor
Email: prosec@chapman.edu

The Faculty

Chapman has over 40 full-time faculty including a Nobel Laureate, five former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, and professors who hold degrees from Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, UCLA, and USC among others. In addition to our full-time faculty, we are very proud of our program adjuncts, who are respected practitioners in their areas of expertise and bring real world experience and a teaching dynamic to the classroom.

The Princeton Review (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006) ranked our faculty in the Top 10 for “Professors Rock - Legally Speaking” (a measure of interesting and accessible faculty) which speaks volumes about the supportive nature of our institution.

Courses in the LL.M. programs are taught by a mixture of experienced full-time professors and leading practitioners who bring extensive experience in very specialized areas of legal practice. Our curriculums are designed to provide each student with a background in the program areas most often encountered, while allowing each student to choose specialized courses according to his or her interest.

Short biographies of the faculty teaching within the programs may be found at: Chapman Faculty Profiles. Complete biographies are printed in the program brochures for the respective programs.

Entry Requirements

The admission requirements are different for each LL.M. program. Please note the differences for each program. The information below lists the minimum requirements in order for us to consider a candidate for admission. Meeting these minimum criteria in no way guarantees your admission. Please consult the individual program catalogs and Chapman's website for more detailed information about our admissions standards.

LL.M. in TAXATION
Admission is limited to those who are either: (1) are members in good standing of the Bar of any State or the District of Columbia; or (2) are recipients of a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an ABA-accredited law school; or (3) an international applicant who has the equivalent of a U.S. law degree from an accredited institution outside the United States or be a practicing attorney outside the United States.

LL.M.'s in TRIAL ADVOCACY, BUSINESS LAW & ECONOMICS, ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA LAW and INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE LAW
Admission to the LL.M. in these specialization areas is limited to those who: (1) are recipients of a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an ABA-accredited law school, or (2) if you are an international applicant, you should have the equivalent of a U.S. law degree from an accredited institution outside the United States.

LL.M. in PROSECUTORIAL SCIENCE
Admission to the LL.M. in Prosecutorial Science program is limited to American attorneys who: (1) Possess three or more years experience in criminal prosecution and (2) Are currently active prosecutors who are members in good standing in their respective state bar association. At this time, the LL.M. in Prosecutorial Science is not open to international applicants.

Application Procedure

The procedure to apply to our LL.M. programs varies slightly, so please note the instructions below carefully.

For all LL.M. programs we require:
- An official, signed, application form
- The application fee ($65 for 2009-2010)
- A current resume
- Official copies of all undergraduate transcripts
- Official copies of all law school transcripts
- International applicants must prove competency in English by completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and meeting our minimum score requirements. All college or university transcripts must be translated into English. Submit English and native language transcripts, as well as copies of your previous degrees. Any photocopies of transcripts or diplomas must be notarized.

Additional application requirements:
- TAXATION: None unless candidate would like to expound on achievements not evident from their transcripts and resume.
- TRIAL ADVOCACY: Personal statement outlining preparation, interests, and goals for graduate study, two letters of recommendation.
- BUSINESS LAW & ECONOMICS: Personal statement outlining preparation, interests, and goals for graduate study, two letters of recommendation.
- ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA LAW: Personal statement outlining preparation, interests, and goals for graduate study, two letters of recommendation.
- INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE LAW: Personal statement outlining preparation, interests, and goals for graduate study, two letters of recommendation.
- PROSECUTORIAL SCIENCE: Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be a nomination letter from the head of applicant’s office of employment.

For all LL.M. programs, your completed application package should be sent to:

Chapman University School of Law
LL.M. Program Offices
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
U.S.A.

Tuition and Fees

The estimated 2009-2010 tuition for all LL.M. programs is $1,260 per credit (unit) hour. See: Tutition and Fee Information to learn more about tuition and other fees.

Financial Aid

Merit scholarship is available for candidates with exceptional academic and/or professional records that clearly demonstrate an acumen for the program which they are applying to.

In addition to this, the LL.M. in Prosecutorial Science program is pleased to offer up to 20 full-tuition scholarships, per enrolling class to members of the California District Attorneys Association as generously provided by the Institute for the Advancement of Criminal Justice. Procedures for scholarship consideration will be provided upon the return of a completed application.

The Financial Aid Office at Chapman University School of Law is happy to discuss the general federal loan programs (Stafford, Perkins, and Graduate PLUS) as well as private and emergency loans. You may contact our Financial Aid Office directly at (714) 628-2510, or through Chapman's website: Chapman Financial Aid Office. For more information about loans and other financing available to graduate law students, see: Chapman Graduate Loan Information.

Location

With its beautiful campus near historic old towne Orange, California, Chapman University is conveniently located between Los Angeles and San Diego in Orange County. The campus consists of historically preserved buildings (often seen in major motion pictures), and new state of the art facilities.

The law school building is Kennedy Hall, a state-of-the-art, $30 million dollar building, housing 130,000 square feet of space that includes classrooms intentionally designed to limit per-class capacity, a law bookstore, student lounges, and trial & appellate courtrooms. The building and classrooms are wi-fi.

Our Rinker Law Library has over 300,000 volumes & volume equivalents, and has been ranked as one of the Top 5 technologically advanced in the country by National Jurist magazine. The library's reference staff includes three duo-degreed lawyer-librarians who are all published authors in their field.

Within a short walk of our campus you will find charming antique shops and boutiques, fantastic restaurants, and shaded, tree-lined streets full of unique historic homes. Within a short drive you will have access to beaches, mountains, major league sports team events, and a host of cultural and recreational opportunities including Disneyland, the Getty Museum, Hollywood, and everything else that Southern California has to offer.

Chapman is located near the Pacific Ocean and has very enviable California weather. Annual average temperature ranges from 75(F)/25(C) in the summer to 60(F)/16(c) in the winter with low humidity year round.